It depends. If it's a rooming house where everybody's mail comes to one box and the landlord has to sort it, there's really no way around it, said Lori Groen, an inspector for the U.S. Postal Service district that includes Racine County.

It gets sketchier when the tenant has a separate box. Even then, Groen said it might not be considered a crime unless the landlord takes the renter's mail and misuses it.

"Without having any kind of loss to the tenant, it would be very difficult to prove they were harmed in some way," she said.

Mail theft is a federal offense. Those who want to report any kind of mail-related crime can call the postal inspectors' hotline toll-free at (877) 876-2455.

And tell the snooper to get his own winning Publishers Clearing House entry.

Are grills allowed on North Beach? My husband and I saw someone grilling right on the sand near other people, including small children.

They're taking the phrase "shore lunch" too literally.

Nobody is supposed to light any kind of fire on the sandy area without a permit, said Sgt. Bernie Kupper of the Racine Police Department. The fine is $145.50.

The main concern is the embers can get buried in the sand, city Parks Manager Jack Schumann said. Bare feet get grilled enough already on a sizzling July day.

The grassy picnic area up the hill is a different story. No permit is needed to grill there.

Why was there no Racine Municipal Band concert at the North Beach gazebo on the Fourth of July? Will it return next year?

You missed it by a few hundred yards. After about 30 years in the same spot, the Racine Concert Band - formerly Municipal Band - moved its holiday show to a parking lot by the city's Hubbard Street water treatment plant.

The beach band shell had been a tight squeeze for the 40 musicians, Business Manager Delbert Eisch said. Plus, he said the big crowds trickling in for the fireworks made it hazardous to lug in big drums and other equipment.

Eisch said the move probably cost the band some of its audience, but he estimated a few hundred still came. Planning hasn't yet begun for next year's schedule. For now, you can catch the band for free Sunday nights at the Racine Zoo, 2131 N. Main St.

For the rest of July, the concerts begin at 7:30 p.m. During August, that'll shift to 7 p.m. For more information, call the band's office between 10 a.m. and noon at (262) 636-9109.

Mike Moore compiles the Glad You Asked column. Call us at (262) 631-1758 or e-mail:

ask@journaltimes.com